It is Week 12, and I hope you are fighting for a playoff spot. Folks are calling this week Byemageddon. I will not stoop to that level of cliché’ but will say six teams off is proving to be rough for many fantasy managers. Those managers will be scrambling to add fill-in players with their normal lineups missing starters from the Bills, Falcons, Bengals, Saints, Jaguars, and Jets. As stressful as this week can and will be, this is what we signed up for. This is what we live for. The trials and tribulations of an up and down fantasy football season. We are skilled fantasy managers and with that comes a responsibility to embolden our lineups with players that give us the best chance to win. Also, this when some fantasy analysts/writers and players become burned out. Not us here @Razzball and not YOU! We are here all year and even cover for each other if something comes up. Remember, I do not provide chalky names in this column. I dig deeper to help you with the harder roster assignments. Here we go again…onto my Week 12 Start recommendations.
Be sure to check out Razzball Football’s updated rankings: Top 150 | QB | RB | WR | TE | DEF | Rookie
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Start These Players:
- Position: QB
- Player: Bo Nix
- Week 12 Opponent: at the Las Vegas Raiders
In my humble opinion, Bo Nix is currently a must-start in fantasy football. Sean Payton, the QB whisperer has turned this young QB into a potential league winner. Were you aware that since Week 5, Bo Nix is the QB5 throughout fantasy football? Let that sink in, then look at the Week 12 matchup at the abysmal Raiders defense. Now, check your waiver wire as Nix is still available in roughly 35% of leagues. Sneaky Play: Drake Maye is not exciting to watch, and his team is bad. A bad real football team leads to a positive fantast game script for a QB. Maye is the poster child for that statement. Logging 20+ points in four of his last six games points to him being a sneaky start. Some will pivot away from him because the Dolphins pass defense appears stingy on paper. I am not buying it especially for a division opponent. Maye will need to throw as Tua will be throwing on the other side. I would take both Maye and the Over (if I was a betting man).
- Position: RB
- Player: Bucky Irving/Rachaad White
- Week 11 Opponent: at the New York Giants
Since Week 3, Bucky Irving has put up more points in matchups against top half defenses than he did against bottom half defenses. As I mentioned in the Drake Maye write-up, game script is important to fantasy football. Irving is on the rise and coming off a bye. I think both TB RBs are viable starts based on the lack of WR depth for the Bucs. Baker has a keen eye for both RBs, but Rachaad White will probably lead in targets while Irving leads in carries. The differences will be thin as both RBs have proven effective at both rush and catch ability. If you play in a standard league, I recommend you lean Irving. Again, I feel as if both RB are solid starts especially with the RBs sitting on their bye. Do not be shocked if you see these two names in this same column down the fantasy stretch as their schedule is amazing from a fantasy perspective. Sneaky Play: To start, please know I do not trust any player the current Chicago Bears are putting out there on offense. I also do not love the look of the RB landscape with six teams on bye, so we are going to lean into a super deep name in Roschon Johnson. Before you tell me D’Andre Swift owns this backfield, please know that I am aware. What we are looking for in Week 12 is a name that could be available for you to stream. That guy in Johnson who is the clear short-yardage RB for the Bears and could fall into the end zone thus making your fantasy day brighter. Only use Johnson in extreme circumstances as his touches only warrant a bye week filler.
- Position: WR
- Player: Quentin Johnston/Ladd McConkey
- Week 11 Opponent: versus the Baltimore Ravens
Justin Herbert is rolling. Justin Herbert appears fully healthy. Jim Harbaugh appears to be willing to throw the ball more now with Herbert healthy and rolling (275+ in four of his last five games). All those things mean positive results for Quentin Johnston and Ladd McConkey, and SPOILER ALERT, one of my TE starts for the week (keep reading). McConkey is a Top 12 WR over the last month and Johnston appears to be the field stretcher for the Chargers. Start both during this ugly Week 12 bye. Sneaky Play: Zay Flowers has proven to be frustrating for fantasy owners with his up and down stat lines. We love the double-digit performances but cannot live with the single digit outputs at this time of the fantasy year. The good news is Baltimore has bounced back nicely from losses. They enter Week 12 pissed and ready to change the narrative. I look for Flowers to return 20+ points this week as the Ravens throw more than run against the Bolts.
- Position: TE
- Player: Will Dissly
- Week 11 Opponent: versus the Baltimore Ravens
I promised you a TE above and here you go. Every time I see Justin Herbert throw to Will Dissly, I see the ‘Did we just become best friends’ scene from Step Brothers. Previously known for his blocking along, The Diss Missile is quickly becoming a trusted target for Herbert with an average of 6+ targets over the past six weeks. From the brutal TE position, I will take 6+ targets and hope for the best. The Ravens will probably score enough points to force the Chargers into a throwing posture earlier than they would normally prefer. That bodes well for Dissly (and the WRs listed above). This is another game I would parlay Dissly receptions with the Over (if I was a betting man). Sneaky Play: Luke Schoonmaker is just a guy. But he is a guy with an opportunity to step in for the starting TE sitting with a concussion. Once Jake Ferguson left the Monday Night Football game, Schoonmaker stepped up by reeling in six of his ten targets for a solid 56 yards. Essentially free on your waiver wire, Schoonmaker should provide a decent floor for the Cowboys team that has proven ineffective at running the ball. He is a big body and should Dem Boys actually get into the red zone in Week 12, presents a nice option for Cooper Rush/Trey Lance.
Since you are here, check out more fantasy goodness at Razzball. Follow me on Twitter/X @Stiles08. Don’t forget to drop a comment or question down below. Looking forward to seeing you during our Sunday Start/Sit Show on YouTube @RazzballFantasy two hours before kickoff where we answer all your questions live on the air!
-Stiles-
